Inside Views

Of all the complaints levied by vinyl purists, the only one I've ever really given much credence to is ...

Of all the complaints levied by vinyl purists, the only one I've ever really given much credence to is the fact that compact discs essentially suck as artifacts. A limited-pressing seven-inch, a dusty old slab of vinyl-- these are the kind of relics that can be treasured for ages, and can provide that sorely missed goofy fanboy sense of connection with an artist. CDs, on the other hand, reek of mass production. Not only is the packaging all secured behind flimsy plastic, but the music itself can be reproduced infinitely without any change in quality. Though it's handy, bite-sized, and generally convenient, a CD generally doesn't leave you with the sense that it's a precious artifact-- a gift straight from the artist to you to be appreciated for years to come.

But Will Cullen Hart (along with a number of other experimental weirdos like Jackie-O Motherfucker and Acid Mothers Temple) aims to change all that. With the Olivia Tremor Control, Hart's wonderful artwork helped make each of that band's releases feel like something worth admiring, as well as setting the mood for the records themselves. Now, with Cloud Recordings' homemade project, Hart is releasing beautifully packaged CD-R's, all made with decidedly analog implements such as spray paint and tracing paper. Every Cloud homemade release is unique-- each has its own slightly varying artwork, made lovingly by Hart himself and his Athens cohorts.

Musically, the homemades are similarly intimate-- smaller projects that would appeal to people who are particularly in tune with Hart's musical sensibility. Inside Views, one in the first series of CD-Rs to be released, is a revisitation of the Circulatory System's excellent self-titled debut record. Whereas Circulatory System was, in many ways, the most straightforward album to be released by Hart yet, Inside Views takes the tracks from that album on a Black Foliage-style ride, complete with sound collages and abrupt song changes.

Circulatory System had nearly infinite sonic material to mine. With some songs from that album containing upwards of 60 simultaneous tracks, and countless additional tracks not having made it onto the final mix, an almost entirely different record could have been assembled from source material. Inside Views makes it clear, however, that Hart's intention wasn't to create something entirely new, but rather to provide alternate sonic perspectives on an incredibly complex record.

Over its thirteen untitled tracks, Inside Views covers many of the best songs from Circulatory System. Its first track is a sparser interpretation of "Yesterday's World," with a slithery guitar line taking the forefront, and a more subdued rhythm. This less structured rendering allows Hart to introduce a whole new slew of weird, trippy sounds and little cut-up edits of the song. Elsewhere, Hart pulls out to focus on some of the most compelling sounds on Circulatory System individually-- the deep chanting of "ancient voices" on "Outside Blasts" being the most notable example.

Around the tenth track, Inside Views becomes deeply sparse and ambient, providing an interesting change of pace from the oft-breakneck sonic exploration that precedes it. This period of quiet segues into a skeletal interpretation of "Inside Blasts," perhaps the best track on Circulatory System. The whirling background drones that were once pushed way back in the mix are audible now, and make a prime case for Hart's talent as a creator of incredible, unusual sounds.

Ultimately, Inside Views succeeds wonderfully in providing some new vistas on a brilliant record. By abruptly picking you up in the middle of one song and dropping you down in another, Hart shows just how successful he was in creating a whole variety of strange environments on Circulatory System. As a stand-alone effort, Inside Views is far from stacking up against the body of Hart's other work. But as a handmade companion piece to one of last year's most memorable albums, it's something to treasure.